Epiiriam w



(No Model.)

B. W. SPEAR.

CAN.

No. 442,210. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

W2: 8% Ma a Q U n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPIIRIAM W. SPEAR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE INTELLIGENT CAN COMPANY, OF

PORTLAND, MAINE.

CAN.

SPF. IFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,210, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed December 24, 1888. Serial No. 294,470. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EPHRIAM \V. SPEAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cans, of which the following is a full specification.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan view on a: as, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation looking into theinterior of the can from the rear. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the faucet. Fig. at is a section taken on 5 a, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on y 3 Fig. showing the faucet secured to the can. Fig. 6 shows in elevation a spigot; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the faucet detached, the section being taken on y 7 Fig. 3, but showing the spigot in a position at right angles to that shown in Fig. 5.

My invention consists of an improved can fitted with an automatic overflow-check faucet and with the attachments hereinafter described, whereby the discharge of the liquid through the faucet of the can is perfectly even and continuous, and may be at once stopped when the liquid has reached a certain height in the vessel to be filled.

A is the top of the can, which is made, preferably, air-tight, the only opening into the same being that into which the faucet is inserted. The can herein shown is provided with a recess D, in which the faucet detached from the can may be conveniently and economically packed during transportation. Into the opening made in the face of the can, preferably within the recess D, is screwed the automatic overflow-check faucet N, when the can is to be used, the ring T being preferably secured to the outside of said opening to thicken the material of the can at that point, so as to furnish a firm bearing for the threaded portion of the faucet. This faucet is provided with a discharge-passage a, through which the liquid flows, and in addition with a smaller air admitting tube or passage 1), which passes from the inner to the outer end of the faucet, and which provides means for the supply of air to the interior of the can to aid in the flow of the liquid therefrom. Connected with the inner end of the passage 1) is the hole b passing through the ring T and the face of the can A, and connected in turn with the tube B in the interior of the can, which passes upward and terminates at a point above the surface of the liquid in the can. The spigot or plug 6 of the faucet is provided with passages a b, corresponding in size and position to the passages a b of the faucet, and serving, when the spigot is in proper position, to make the liquid-discharge passage a a continuous through the length of the faucet, and the air-admitting passage 1) b b B continuous from the outer end of the faucet to a point within the can above the surface of the liquid. The faucet-N is, moreover, provided with a secondary tube or passage b", preferably parallel, and adjacent to the passage b running from the in nerend of the faucet to the spigot c, and, like I), is connected by means of the opening 19 with a tube B, secured to the interior of the can, and, like B, terminating at a point above the surface of the liquid. The spigot c is provided with a notch i, so located that when the spigot is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 7, with the handle II at right angles to the axis of the faucet andwith both passages to Z) of the faucet cut off,thc said notch i shall be directly opposite the passage b", thereby forming a direct conn'nunication between the outside air and the interior of the can through the tube 1-3; butwhen, on the other hand, the faucet is in position for discharging the liquid from the can this communication with the outside air of the tube B is out off, as shown in Fig. 5. The two air-admitting passages thus formed are entirely separateand distinct from each other, and each admits air into the can independently of the other.

The filling of the can is accomplished through the opening into which the faucet is afterward secured, which opening is closed during transportation of the can in any desired manner, as by a screw-threaded plug.

The operation of my improved can is as follows: The faucet N is first screwed in place with the passages 17 Z)", opposite the openings D 12 through the face of the can. When it is desired to draw liquid from the can, the spigot is turned in the position shown in Fig.5, and the discharge of the liquid will be continuous until the level of the liquid in the vessel to be filled reaches the end of the faucet. This cuts off the infiow of air through the passage I), when the discharge immediately stops. In Fig. 2 I have represented the tube 13 as terminating in an acoustic alarm O, which may be constructed in any desired manner to produce a sound, and which, as here shown, contains a reed E, partially closing a narrow opening, so that a continuous sound is produced as long as air flows into the can through the tube B, but which, of course, stops with the check of the inflowing air. This indicates to the ear, as well as to the eye, when the discharge of the liquid has been cut off It sometimes happens that when the surface of the liquid in the vessel to be filled has reached the end of the passage 1) the impulse of the air rushing up into the same will cause water to wholly or partially fill the air-tubes b b B, the water remaining therein after the faucet has been-shut off, so that when it is again desired to draw liquid from the can the presence of water in the air-tubes may tend to check for a moment the inflowing of the air necessary to break the vacuum within the can and start the flow of liquid therefrom. It is for this reason thatIemploy the secondary air-passage already described, by the use of which, when the faucet is turned olf, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, air enters the interior of the can through the secondary passage-ways b Z1 B, thus breaking the vacuum within the can, so that when the faucet is again opened for the discharge of the liquid the flow will at once begin, and will be again out off automatically, as before, when the level of the liquid reaches the end of the faucet, because during the flow the communication of the outer air with the interior of the can through the secondary air-passages b" L B is cut off.

I preferably so construct the faucet that the spigot is eccentric to the central longitndinal axis of the faucet, so that the liquidpassage 0', which passes transversely through it, is out of center, or, in other words, is so placed that there is more material on one side of the passage than on the other to close the faucet, for by this means a dischargepassage of larger size may obviously be employed in the faucet and effectually closed by a spigot of a given size than if the spigot itself were centrally located with respect to the faucet, as will readily be seen by reference to Fig. 4:. An additional means of breaking the vacuum in the can caused by the stopping of the air-tube B with Water and causing the immediate flow of the liquid consists in providing the faucet with an opening g near the outer end of the same and communicating with the air-passage b, so that when the level of the liquid in the vessel to be filled closes the extreme end of the airpassage Z) the effect of the air still entering through the aperture Q will be such as to cause bubbles of air as well as of water to rise in the tube 1), and it has been found in practice that the air thus admitted is suffi-v cient to cause the liquid to flow immediately when the faucet is again turned on. This means of breaking the vacuum may be used either alone or in connection with the secondary air-passages already described.

I claim- 1. A can provided with two interior airtubes, in combination with an automatic overflow-check faucet containing a liquid discharge passage and two separate and independent air-admitting passages connected with the air-tubes in the interior of the can, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A can provided with two interior airtubes,in combination with an automatic overflow-check faucet containing a liquid-discharge-passage and two air-admitting passages connecting with the air-tubesin the interior of the can, one of which passages passes to the outer end of said faucet, while the other terminates at the spigot, and a ing a spigot provided with suitable openings corresponding to said passages, substantially as described.

4. A can provided with a faucet having a spigot whose axis of rotation is at one side of the longitudinal axis of the liquid-passage through the faucet and at right angles to said longitudinal axis, the said spigot being provided with a liquid-passage passing transversely through it out of center, whereby.

there is increased material on one side of the passage through the spigot to close the faucet, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EPHRIAM \V. SPEAR. \Vitnesses:

W. B. H. DOWSE, ALBERT E. lumen. 

